Czech parties short on seats for government

Three Czech centre and rightist parties signed an agreement on forming a ruling coalition today, but leftists have held off giving…

Three Czech centre and rightist parties signed an agreement on forming a ruling coalition today, but leftists have held off giving it the required parliamentary support.

The right-wing Civic Democrats, the leading party to emerge from a national election on June 2nd-3rd, signed the deal with the centrist Christian Democrats and the Green Party.

But the three parties together have just 100 seats in the 200-seat lower house, and they need the support of at least one deputy from the left to win a vote of confidence in the chamber, expected in the coming weeks.

The coalition deal gives Civic Democrats 10 cabinet posts, including the premiership to be held by party leader Mirek Topolanek, with the Christian Democrats and Greens each taking three.

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"We are convinced that this coalition should get a chance . . . now we will negotiate as a coalition [with the Social Democrats]," Mr Topolanek said after the signing ceremony.

The coalition programme says both corporate and personal income tax should fall to one single "flat tax" rate, and that inheritance, dividend and capital gains taxes should be scrapped.

It is also proposed that budget deficits should be cut to meet the Maastricht criteria, governing euro entry, by 2008.

Outgoing Prime Minister Jiri Paroubek said his leftist Social Democrats could not support the new government at this point.

Mr Topolanek and his partners have already ruled out turning to the final lower house party, the Communists, for support.